| A senior policy maker of the government yesterday brushed aside persistent speculation about an impending cabinet reshuffling, saying "the Prime Minister has not discussed the issue at all." Dropping a broad hint about general perception about the cabinet, LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam said, "the ministers are in the learning process since they are for the first time in the cabinet, and their performances is improving everyday as they are learning the job."
Replying to a question, the minister ruled out the possibility of conducting an official enquiry into the allegation of mixing poison in Sheikh Hasina's food during her captivity, torture and political persecution during the past caretaker government.Deputy Leader of the House Sajeda Chowdhury made the allegation about poisoning Sheikh Hasina's food public recently, while front ranking leaders of main opposition BNP demanded of the government to conduct a high-powered enquiry into the plot to kill the two top leaders-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Opposition Leader Begum Khaleda Zia in prison.
The government has no plan to conduct an enquiry into the allegation, spokes man of the ruling party Ashraf said.
Terming tender grabbing, toll collection and a-national problem, the LGRD Minister said, necessary changes were being made in the Public Procurement Regulation (PPR) through Parliament, to remove these curse.
"Trial of the war criminals, killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, four national leaders and perpetrators of August 21 grenade attacks will be held and judgement of those trials will be executed during the tenure of this government," the minister asserted while talking to a group of journalists at his secretariat office.
Evaluating the first six-months' performance of the Awami League-led grand alliance government, Ashraful Islam said, price hike of the essentials has been considerably reduced, law and order brought to a tolerable limit, handling the BDR incident successfully, enactment of Local Government, ACC and Right to Information laws were big achievements of the government.
This government, from the very beginning is trying to ensure independence of the judiciary and religiously refrained from interfering in the delivery of justice, Ashraful added.
The minister said, election manifesto of the party will be implemented during the government's tenure. Implementation of the manifesto has started, he pointed out.Both national and international issues including Tipaimukh dam will be resolved with the cooperation of the main opposition BNP, Syed Ashraf said. He again urged the opposition leader to join the parliament.
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